Bev Lee Harling’s EP, Impossible Human, is a well-honed, soulful gem. The EP's five tracks are rich pickings from Bev’s extensive repertoire, with musical landscapes touching on jazz, blues and latin sources. Poignant lyrics, latino guitar and delicate, rousing strings complement Bev’s voice in its full breadth of expression.

Loneliness Cafe opens the EP with a sexy romp of rumba beats and feisty, playful vocals. It is in Life Won’t Wait, however, that the listener gains entry into the heart of the record. A keen, haunting melody is supported and embellished with plucked guitar and subtle bongo beats. The sass of Loneliness Café is nowhere to be seen. Life Won’t Wait is a thoughtful track with engaging, down-to-earth lyrics, ‘Late night TV leaves you like a child, it’s driving you mad.’ The title track of the EP is another perfectly pitched, intimate gift. A bone-chilling cello line leads us into Impossible Human with minimalist piano and vocals creating a trance-like sound, reminiscent of Tori Amos’ more introverted work. On the flip side I'm for You with its sweet, airy vocals proves Bev's ‘light and flirty’ is just as convincing as her dark, lusher moods.

The EP Impossible Human places Bev Lee Harling within a respected tradition of women, including the likes of Joni Mitchell and Billy Holiday, whose fan base is drawn to the person behind the song, as much as to the music itself. Impossible Human has emotional weight. It sinks straight to the bottom of the heart and radiates there.

-Niki Set Smith